


Inquire Within

by griffle



Series: Fly Through My Window Universe [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Family Feels, Fluff and Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:20:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27404941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/griffle/pseuds/griffle
Summary: How Tim got the title "Mr. Dad"(Part of the "Fly Through My Window" Universe)
Relationships: Bart Allen & Tim Drake & Kon-El | Conner Kent & Cassie Sandsmark, Tim Drake & OC
Series: Fly Through My Window Universe [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2023856
Comments: 13
Kudos: 111





	Inquire Within

**Author's Note:**

> I'm in the rewrite stages of the final chapter! Along with life issues, aha...
> 
> OC is of course, Jenna! The little trans-girl from "Fly Through My Window." 
> 
> TW: Non-explicit mentions of child abuse, child neglect from another OC. Please be mindful.

"Timmy-o." 

"No."

"Robby." 

"No." 

"The Hossman." 

"Absolutely not." 

"Boss."

"He didn't like it."

"And he said no to Mr. Wayne?" 

"He got this look in his eye and said "Never again." 

"Dang. Uh- Mr. TJ of the Radicular D." 

"No." 

"What are you doing?" Kon peers from the kitchen. Bart and Jenna were sitting cross legged on the couch, her focus mostly on adding barrettes to his hair as he blazed through another textbook, and for some reason, listing names.

"Thinking of names for Tim for Jenna to call him" Bart replies. "Cause you know, he doesn't like Sir." 

"And I'm not going to call sir, Tim," Jenna says with a twist on her mouth as she fiddles with a barrette placement, the purple sequins stark against Bart’s hair. "It's just not. Proper." 

Ah. This argument. Ever since Tim- well, _acquired_ Jenna, she had seemingly gotten the idea that she had gotten a job, a job helping Tim. An idea that Tim did not refuse and helped perpetuate. 

"She had a resume," was his response. "When I tried to explain I was going to foster her, she thought I wanted her for her organs." 

"Did you even try for the _truth?_ " 

But the truth is, Tim admitted he wasn't really sure why he was fostering Jenna, why he even pretty much kidnapped her in the first place. All three of them were sure it definitely had to do with his own childhood, but also- they're not going to even attempt to touch that with a ten foot pole. Mostly because every time Tim even mentioned some of the shitty stuff his dad or mom did, it just made them all sad. And yeah, they all had shitty parents- Fuck, Kon had to deal with the fact that a Supervillain was genetically linked to him- but something about Tim's situation was just. Shitty. Maybe it was the fact that they had superpowers and maybe all of them, or at least Kon, felt like it was a payment or sacrifice or balancing the scales. An ending world for Superspeed. A Supervillain parent for Super Strength. A dickhead god of a dad for the power of Flight. 

Tim didn't have that. He was just naturally smart and clever and got to deal with a Mom who maybe/maybe not loved him and a Dad who tried too late. And now both were dead. 

Yeah, no one was going to even try touching those issues. Fuck, Kon doesn't think that _Steph_ really attempted. 

But as such, Jenna calls Tim _sir,_ which reminds him of his dad and gives him _emotions,_ emotions that he isn't ready to deal with, will probably never want to deal with, but she doesn't want to call him _Tim_ because he is her _Boss,_ but he's not, and they speak in circles for hours talking about schematics and titles and the english language until they both get distracted. Last time they had the argument, they ended up watching tutorials on beekeeping. Kon still has no idea why. 

Kon looks at the two on the couch, looking at Jenna lost in thought. 

"What about Mr. Tim?" He suggests. Bart shakes his head. "See, we already suggested that, but Tim says it makes him sound like some weird musician that plays the kazoo, or a serial killer, so that's out."

"Who's a serial killer?" Tim's already re-tying his hair into his half-ponytail, and Cassie comes over to lean against him as they walk up from the Perch, probably hitting a wall from the missing-homeless case they've been working on. 

Kon pats her head. “Tim’s name-title.” Tim, bless him, doesn't exactly let out a groan, but does the next closest thing. "Jenna, seriously, you can call me Tim.”

She just frowns. “Well it doesn’t sound right. It’s not _proper._ ” This was undermined by the fact that she was currently in a pair of Cassie’s old shorts, a faded pink shirt that was also Cassie’s and two of the sequin barrettes in her hair, the orange somehow working with the ensemble. She closes the last barrette on Bart’s hair, now even more entrancing due to the rainbow colors scattered about. 

Kon cocked his head at the sight. It kind of looked like a mohawk. 

“Well, what would you-” Cassie doesn’t even falter as Kon shook his head slightly. “-Call Someone who identifies as male and is a figure of great respect that isn’t a boss?” 

Kon and Tim hide their wincing as Jenna just gives Cassie a doubtful look. 

“...A supervisor? A mentor?” She gives another glance at Tim, squinting. “Are you my mentor?”

Tim blinks at her. “Do you want me to be?” Cause he could. Technically- one might argue that he mentored Bart, and there've been one or two capes that have come to him for advice. Duke sometimes asked about college stuff. 

“Well,” Cassie had a look, Tim knew that look, they all knew that look, but before he could even try to stop her, “What about something Father-like?”

“He’s not my Father.” It’s said flat, emotionless, and Tim bites his lip. Cassie hadn’t really...seen this side of Jenna yet, the part that shows why she chose to go off with a vigilante, and not on the Penthouse balcony. “He’s not Father and he will _never_ be Father," she says with vehemence, eyes glittering sharply. 

The ticking of the clocks, and Gotham’s traffic fill the space. 

“Gotcha.” Cassie coughs into her hand, before, "What about Chief?" 

"That sounds like he's culturally appropriating," Bart wrinkles his nose. 

"How? People use Chief all the time," Cassie says. 

"Yeah, but that can and is considered offensive by various Native American tribes, and even if you want to use US government standpoint, then you're still using military terms," Bart shrugs. 

"And I really don't want to be called Commander, or Sergeant," Tim adds. "Sorry Jenna." 

"I don't want to call you those names either," Jenna says, sharing a grimace. Cassie hums, looking up at the ceiling. "Hey, what about Captain?" 

“Captain Tim,” Kon muses aloud, “Hey wasn’t that mouth-spider from that one cartoon also named Captain Tim?” Tim makes a face. “Again, nothing related to the military, and I really don’t want to be named after a mouth-spider cartoon.”

“And he doesn’t own a boat,” agreed Jenna. 

"No, he does." Cassie looks at Tim. "Right?" 

"No? I mean there's the Bat boat-"

"I thought you once complained about Dick and Damian making a boat explode," Kon frowned. "Like, I could've sworn you were complaining about that at the Tower. Really loudly."

"I mean, back then I was complaining about them often, but no, there's only been the Batsub and the Batboat. I think you dreamed that up," Tim says, and Kon goes to argue, no, he didn't, he swears, but a callused hand covers his mouth. 

"Jenna are you sure there isn't any name, or title that you can think of? Anything?" Cassie gives them both a warning glance. Kon closes his mouth- he's not happy, and _yes,_ maybe they would have this argument all day, but he was right, damnit. But Cassie is Cassie and she isn't afraid to punch him, plus she's a demigoddess. Her punches _hurt._

Jenna frowns. "Well, there is something- from. Before." 

"What's that?" All four of them perk up. She doesn't talk about- _before._ The few snippets they picked up- yeah, she's better off with Tim.

It takes her a while to start, more interested in pressing her thumb against each of her fingers on her right hand. "Sometimes, when I would go out, I'll see- Fathers with their children. They would do things like hold hands when crossing the street or hug and stuff." Over and over she repeats the hand movements, switching over to the other. "And the Fathers- they would also smile and call the children terms of endearment and then they in return would be called Dad. So I guess they're different from Fathers, cause Dads look like they want to be for their children and help them and stuff. And some Dads don't even look like their child, so unlike Fathers, where the bloodline is important, Dads are like- it's different. I know it's different. What a Father is and what a Dad is." 

"I always thought having a Dad would be nice," her hand stills, but she continues to look down. "But I thought I couldn't get one since, you know, Replaceables are Trash and Trash Do Not Get Nice Things- Not Without a Price or Punishment." And the way Kon knows she's capitalizing those words- reciting old rules and sayings as if they're indefinite. He feels his hand twitch, wanting to fight, wanting to help. 

But they keep silent. This is not their place yet, to help.

"So I figured once I'm older- I would work and work until I have my own home and company and then I could hire one. Like, that would be the job position- Mr. Dad of the Dad department," she says, hopeful and hesitant. "Like, he would be on Payroll and have health insurance and all sorts of competitive benefits and all he would need to do is, hold my hand once in a while and hug me and call me Jenna and give me a Real Smile," Her mouth twists into a small, wistful smile, as if she believes what she's asking is too unrealistic, too much imbedded in fantasy. "He doesn't have to smile at me every day, just once a month, you know. I'm not mean. And the hand holding and hugging can be negotiated too. He just- he just has to call me Jenna, and stay." She pauses. "And also not hurt me. I'll pay extra for that."

Fuck, Kon thinks, eyes watering. I'll smile. I'll smile everyday for you. I'll smile until my goddamn mouth hurts. 

All she wanted was just someone to see her, and not hurt her and- for _Rao's_ sake, just be there for her. _Fuck._ Cassie's face is streaked with tears, Bart's wiping at his eyes, face blotchy, and Tim- 

God, his eyes are wide, so wide. He looks like he's been sucker-punched, just staring at her, his throat working but no words coming out, struck silent. 

"...Are you okay?" She's finally looking up, seeing their faces. "What's wrong?" 

Cassie swoops her into a hug. "I'll hug you, little lady," she sniffs. Bart latches against her side, wrapping his arms around the two of them. "And I'll smile at you every day- they'll all be real, every one, real honest smiles, I promise," he swears, brown eyes teary. 

Kon steps closer, embracing the three. "I'll be there Jennabird, I'll make sure no one hurts you again." And he will. It doesn't matter if he has to fight Clark, if anyone tries and hurt Jenna, they'll have to try and go through him first. He hears Bart and Cassie make noises of agreement, knows that if anyone would try and hurt her- 

They will be dealing with the force and fury of their combined anger. He hugs them tighter, his precious ones closer to his chest. Kon can tell that she's not getting it, and it doesn’t matter, because fuck it, he’s going to make sure this little girl won’t ever have those sad, sad dreams again, that she dreams up better dreams. Perhaps it's far-fetched, to say that they would fight a concept such as sad dreams, but they’re the Core Four. They’ve won against impossible odds before. 

Actually- where the hell is Tim and why the fuck isn't he part of this hug?

“Rob?” All of them glance over to see Tim had moved over to the table and was currently writing something down. 

_“Red Robin,”_ Cassie says, sounding annoyed, and yeah, she should be, they were having a moment. A very important moment, and god, _Rob_ was the one who wanted to foster the girl-

“So,” the young man turns to all three of them, paper clutched in his hand. “It’s not in Times New Roman, or in any type of format that would be considered adequate-”

“Robin?” All four of them are looking at him now, and Kon can feel Jenna start to slide back to the floor. He doesn’t stop it, looking at the man while he clears his throat, back straight as he recites.

“-Timothy Jackson Drake. Gotham City, New Jersey. 23. Work Experience: I followed Batman and Robin for several years, before moving on to _being_ Robin-”

“Tim?” And he’s- Kon’s unsure what he’s hearing, except Jenna’s heart is beating faster and this _means_ something. Tim keeps talking, talking about his- how he became Red Robin.

"As for skill set- for the specifics requested, here are my answers: you're Jenna, and always been Jenna, and if anyone tries and makes you think any different, I will _deal_ with them **_myself._ ** I'm good at holding hands- not too tight, not too sweaty, I've gotten good at doing that. Uh, hugs- I can give alright hugs- okay, they're a little tight, but practice makes perfect, right? Um- I’m told my smiles can look a little wonky, but I can give real smiles, like honest, sincere ones, any time, no matter what. What was the next- ah, the not-hurting.” And here Tim looks up at her. 

“I will _never_ hurt you, Jenna.” And it’s, it’s the Red Robin look, a _promise._ Tim keeps his eyes directly on Jenna, except it’s not just _Tim,_ it’s _Red Robin_ promising as well. “I will never hurt you as your Parents did.” She’s breathing unsteadily. Red Robin clears his throat and Tim is slipping back to the surface. “I can also say, I’m very good at staying. I've had plenty of practice building up _that_ skill."

All three of them can hear the history, the pain of that one (awful, terrible, traumatic) year where Tim got left behind, where Kon and Bart were dead and Cassie slipped away, where all four of them were lost, in that one statement, but Jenna doesn’t hear _that,_ because she’s looking at Tim like he just confessed to creating her Wonderland just for her. 

All three of them watch as Red Robin, _their_ Robin, Timothy Jackson Drake walks up to Jenna, handing her the piece of paper.

“Miss Jenna, if you don’t mind,” Tim smiles at her, a sincere, honest-to-god _Tim_ smile. “I would like to apply for the job position of Mr. Dad of the Dad Department."

She swallows. “You’re hired.” She’s immediately throwing herself at Tim, body shaking, Tim merely wraps his arms around her body, holding her close to his chest. 

“I got you, Jenna,” Kon hears him whisper. “I’m here. I’m _staying."_ Jenna says nothing, only giving out a gasp as she curls tighter against him. 

That's the only signal they need. 

They crash into the two, toppling them over, hugging, crying, and just being a _mess._ But a happy mess, because Jenna's smiling like she just had all of her dreams come true, and Tim’s smiling big and wide as he’s looking at Jenna like she’s something terrifying and wonderful. And he's right, he is holding something terrifying and wonderful, something big and deep and something that makes all of them feel _whole._

They all cling to each other, their Family, and that's the best title of all. 

**Author's Note:**

> I have a tumblr where I shit-post and maybe will post stuff about my various fics at griffle-musings. Warning: it's not just DC, it's also Hamilton, so. There's that. 
> 
> EDIT: Also on my tumblr, there's a companion piece called "Charity Event" if you're interested in reading Jenna's thoughts on the title of Mr. Dad. Warning- It's sad and it makes me cry. 
> 
> The Link:
> 
> https://griffle-musings.tumblr.com/post/633981801121153024/ftmwu-charity-event
> 
> Thank you all for reading. I appreciate you all.


End file.
